


Smoke and Mirrors.

by orphan_account



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV), Peaky Blinders RPF
Genre: AU, Death, Engagement, F/M, Happy Ending, Love Triangles, Marriage, Pain, Pregnancy, Sad, Smut, Time Travel AU, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-09 11:47:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12887199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Elsie lee is leaving her home in Ireland for a new life in London, but a layover in Birmingham on the 13th Of June 2017 changes her life and the lives of the people in Birmingham forever.Thomas Shelby Just wants to know who the strange woman in his flower bed is and why she’s wearing such a ridiculous shirt.





	1. London Bound.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this I have everything mapped out and ready to go, I just want to make sure people are actually going to read this! Also would you like visuals for Elsie and her clothing? Let me know! Xx

Elsie Jay Lee was a normal Irish girl from mullinger. She was average height slim with flaming red ringleted hair down to her waist. She was a shy girl with a passion for music and art, which is what lead her to choose the London university of art. At the age of 19 she packed up her room in the house she grew up in with her elderly grandmother and headed for the airport. 

Elsie was never one for planes or anything technical really, she was happy with a book, some pencils and the open fields. She only bought a phone to please her grandmother who was to be far from her for most of the next four years. She had shipped her things over to the city a few days before just carrying her duffel bag containing some night clothes a book and her pencils. For traveling she had decided on a long black gypsy skirt and a short sleeve red shirt. Her feet usually bare clad in her old black boots.

 

After waiting tirelessly for three hours in the airport her plane was finally called. She slipped her book in her back pushing her glasses up onto her head keeping her hair from slipping into her eyes. The freckles on her pale cheeks becoming more voidable due to the cold weather, she carefully held her ticket out to the woman on the gate entrance who simple smiled and let her threw onto the plane. 

 

Two hours later the plane finally landed, though not without much difficulty, an unexpected storm had knocked the planes coordination box out and the pilot made the decision to land prematurely. Leaving Elsie and the other unhappy passengers stranded in Birmingham airport until the next day when the storm had passed. 

Elsie sighed looking up at the boards watching as each flight time each changed to ‘cancelled’. Chewing on her bottom lip she looked around at all the people bunkering down for the night in the terminal. She wasn’t one for staying in highly populated places; she was hoping she would cope better in London. Deciding that she couldn’t wait until tomorrow she started walking toward the exit sign and managed to find her way outside. 

Ironically the weather on this Birmingham evening wasn’t that bad other than the black thunder clouds over head. She smiled happy she wasn’t to cold, taking note of the hotel across from the airport she walked to the train station Just opposite. Elsie groaned seeing it was clothed “for fucks sake” she muttered looking around for a taxi. To her dismay the place seemed deserted of any cars. 

Deciding sleeping on it would be her best bet out getting out of Birmingham she headed for the small ‘iris’ hotel thanking a god she didn’t believe in when the door opened and a light was on. A lady was sat at the desk looking tired as Elsie felt, she wondered if she looked as exhausted. “Ello I’ve been grounded here and wondered if you ‘ad any rooms available” she asked politely. Startling the poor tired woman. 

“Oh hello sorry my love! Yes we have two rooms left available on the first floor or the third” she smiled looking up at Elsie with glossy eyes. Elsie tilted her head, she recognised the woman but was unsure how. It was impossible really she’d never ventured out of Ireland before. 

“Oh yeah the first floor will be fine” Elsie shook her head before reaching into her bag for her purse gasping as she realised she’d used the last of her money to get lunch before getting on the plane. “ I uh I forgot my card and I have no money on me” she explained chewing on her lip once again, a nervous habit she had picked up over the years. “Would you mind if I just stayed in the lobby for a few hours? It’s quiet and there aren’t a lot of people” She asked looking pleadingly at the sleepy familiar woman. 

 

“Here Elsie” she held out the key card for a room. “You stay in there my love, don’t worry about money just get some rest you’ll need it for tomorrow” before Elsie could refuse the lady had placed the key in her hand and pointed to the lifts. “Room 16 lovely girl” she hummed going back to her computer. 

“Thank you” Elsie had whispered out heading for the lift frowning at the card in her hand. She shook her head and made her way to her room. Once inside she relaxed a little, she text her gran lying and telling her she had gotten there safe and would call her when she had settled in. She sat on the bed in the little rooms and sighed lying back “why ain’t anythin bloody simple” 

She looked around the small hotel room containing nothing more than a little bed a wardrobe and a desk. Something did catch her eye though a photo on the wall, it seemed to be a family photo of a older woman with four young men around her three in army uniform and a young woman who looked unhappy to be there, she reminded Elsie of herself and another figure but it was impossible to see who the person was. In another photo on the wall it was the same people this time a few children infront of them and they seemed older. The children looked very similar, Elsie decided they must be siblings but one small child looked nothing like the rest for one the child had dark skin and frizzy hair, due to the time it looked like maybe it was one of the maids children or something Elsie concluded. 

Glancing at the clock she noticed the time, 3:25am. She’d been awake for nearly 23 hours now and was exhausted. Not bothering to change into her night clothes she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, thinking about how she would cope being alone in London, and how she would make it out of Birmingham tomorrow. She sighed once more and slipped into a dreamless sleep. 

Little did Elsie know the world she would wake up in would make her wish she could dream her whole life away.


	2. Flower Bed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

It was the cold breeze that woke Elsie from her deep sleep, a frown settling on her face as she shivered groaning in the uncomfortable position she had slept in. Stretching out she yawned and peeled her eyes open. Once she did she froze she was looking at the gray morning sky. She shot up taking in her surroundings. She took a moment rubbing her eyes and moving her tangled curls from her face before standing up. 

She, Elsie Jay Lee was some how lay; Well now standing in a flower bed of roses and Lily’s in the middle of the countryside. She wrapped her arms around herself grabbing her cardigan from the ground noticing her bag was also there. Turning she saw a Manor House like something from the tv. Elsie laughed out loud to herself. “What the fuck is happening?!” She cackled loudly to herself. “Fuck me, this is a bloody weird dream. Good one Els come on let’s wake up now” she shook herself out and lifted up her skirt kicking herself in the shin. 

“Ouch” she huffed reaching up to pinch herself. Still nothing she was still stood in the cold mornings air in the flower bed. Biting on her lip she cursed to herself deciding either she’d been drugged at the stupid hotel and dumped here or she’d sleep walked because the longer she bit and pinched herself, the more she came to the realisation that this wasn’t a dream. 

After another few minutes she grabbed her bag remembering her phone. She searched threw her bag but it wasn’t there. “Great, just great” so not only was she stranded in the middle of no where Her phone had gone. She decided the house was probably her best bet and marched towards it. Stomping across the garden and up the gravel drive she noticed a cloud of smoke coming from the balcony at the front of the house, squinting she tried to see whoever was making up but was unable to catch as much as a glance of anyone.

She got to the large front door of the beautiful house and knocked loudly before stepping back. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, her skirt just under her belly button and her red top resting just above it. Elsie was in the middle of straightening her collar when the door opened revealing an older woman with white whisky hair in a maids uniform. 

He maid looked Elsie up and down giving her a disgusted look. “Can I help you miss?” She asked looking up at my face. “Um yea’ I’ve no bloody idea where I am, do ya’ have a phone I could use?” The maid rolled her eyes. “Tryin ya look here missy, the master may ‘ave a big ‘ouse but he ain’t got no phone” she snapped.

Elsie frowned “oh well could ‘ya tell me where I am” 

“Mary go to the kitchen” a deep voice called making the maid and Elsie jump. The maid scurried away from the slightly ajar door. Elsie slowly took another couple of steps back. “Name.” A voice demanded a cloud of smoke appearing in Elsie’s face making her cough and look up at the voice. That was the first time she saw him.

He was stood in a dark blue suit, his hair in a crew cut but slightly longer on the top. He was a lot taller than Elsie she would estimate about 6’2, 6’3. Once Elsie’s eyes landed on his face she was glued to his piercing blue eyes and the way his jaw was as sharp as a knife. The air around him seemed to demand dominance and attention.

“Well?” He snapped after a few moments of the girl staring at him. She blinked quickly her freckled cheeks flushing a dusty pink colour. “Sorry sir ‘m Elsie, Elsie Jay Lee” she nodded her head watching him carefully as he pinched his cigarette to his lips taking a slow drag. 

“One of the Lee girls ay. What are you doing at my door dressed like one of the workin girls.” He raised his eyebrow his eyes staying on her navel for a few moments before moving back up to her face noticing the dried blood under her nose. 

“The Lee girls?” She asked frowning. She found herself doing that a lot this morning, “no sir ‘m from Ireland, ‘m travelin to London for school an’ somehow I’ve ended up in ya flower bed” turning her nose up slightly at the man who had just accused her of looking like a prostitute.

“You’re a far way from London girl.” He stepped back motioning for her to step inside.

“Don’t I know it” Elsie muttered stepping past him cautiously.


End file.
